1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to work-piece holders for various well known types of table mounted machine tools such as routers, cutters, shapers and the like. The work-piece holder is of the type that may be positioned on a work table and operated with standard work-piece guides mounted adjacent the machine tool. The work-piece holder secures the work-piece against slippage during forward and return strokes regardless of the angle of cutting and is guided by the standard machine tool guide or fence. The need for hand contact of the work-piece during operation and contact between the work-piece and the machine tool guides or fences is thus eliminated.
2. The Prior Art
Table top mounted machine tools for such operations as routing, cutting and shaping have been well known in the art for many years and are commercially available in many forms, both for home and professional use. Although woodworking tools are most common, these tools are suitable for use with plastics, metal or any other machinable material. These tools are also usually provided with adjustable guides or "fences" which may be independently set so as to allow the work-piece to be moved past the cutting tool for removal of material at the proper angle and position for a predetermined cut. Examples of table mounted machine tools with adjustable fences or guide elements are contained in the H. E. Tautz U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,947,885 and 2,085,235 and the F. L. Forster U.S. Pat. No. 727,337.
Although prior art work-piece holders have been devised for securely holding the work-piece while it is guided past the tool with the aim of maintaining the operator's hands clear of the high speed cutting tool, many problems have been encountered. Prior art work holders have normally been complicated in structure or of special design requiring specialized work tables or modification of existing table structures. Even the most sophisticated and adaptable devices have serious limitations as to the size of work-piece which can be accommodated. Extremely small blocks in the order of less than one inch dimensions may be impossible to handle and/or the angle of cut may be severely restricted. Additionally the danger of operator injury increases with the handling of extremely small blocks. The two H. E. Tautz U.S. Patents cited above are examples of such limited work-piece holders. Additional examples of work-piece holders for table top mounted machine tools are contained in the A. L. Stoddard U.S. Pat. No. 604,946 and the L. M. Budd U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,568.